Centerfire Rugers any good?

How do Ruger centerfire autoloaders stack up against the competition? The price is right for me, but how's the quality/reliability?

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Murphster

September 20, 2004, 08:31 AM

Don't judge them by my experience alone. All manufactures will send out a few pistols that have problems. But I bought one of the new P345's a few months ago after reading a glowing review in a gun magazine. Disassembled and cleaned it and took it to the range. It felt fine, shot fine, and fed both hardball and swc without a hitch. Brought it home, cleaned it again - and it broke. Beats me. Had to go back to Ruger ($45 or so dollars for shipping for which I wasn't reimbursed). They replaced parts in the safety and in the mag release safety. But I got rid of the gun because I no longer trusted it. It appeared to me that Ruger went with some new, unique design features with this gun and and ended up with an overly complex design with too many parts. Others, however, swear by the older Ruger designs. I traded mine in on a Sig and much prefer what I believe to be the simpler Sig design. For me, it was a case of trying to save a few bucks with the Ruger and it ended up costing me much more in the end. Live and learn.

HSMITH

September 20, 2004, 08:48 AM

I've shot and been around some of the P8X's and some of the P9X's owned by friends and ranges for rentals. They have been in my experience dead reliable, even the range rentals that were beyond filthy. Accuracy has been about average for service type pistols. Ergonomics for me are pretty poor, but some people love them. I don't know a thing about the newest models but the older models are pretty solid.

Grunt

September 20, 2004, 08:53 AM

Well, I got a P90 that I've been trying out against other .45 caliber full size autos. The list includes H&K USP-45, Sig 220, Glock 21, a S&W SW99, an EAA Witness steel frame, a Springfield 1911 USGI and an Auto Ordnance 1911 with a few carry upgrades in addition to the Ruger. They work and are built like a tank but they are VERY bulky and ergonomics aren't the best in the world either. Replacing the grips with Hoages helps you still have a fairly short distance between the bottom of the trigger guard to the bottom of the frame. Matter of fact, the P90 is the only full size handgun I used that has ever pinched my pinkey between the magazine base and frame while doing a speed reload. :scrutiny: No, I guess I see the Ruger autos as the AK-47 of the handgun word. Rugged, reliable and cheap. It's also about as ergonomic as a brick, just like the AK.
Now if you are on a budget, have you ever looked at the EAA Witness? They ar a CZ-75 design and can be had for as low a price as the Rugers if not cheaper in some places. The ergonomics are a lot better, they have a higher magazine capacity (10 versus 8 in the full size .45s), have a lower bore axis, the trigger is a lot nicer as well as the ability to be carried cocked-and-locked if you prefer. My Witness has been just as reliable as my Ruger as well as the other handguns I own. Kind of hard to say "handgun X is more reliable than handgun Y" when all have been 100% reliable. No, if I was loking for a budget priced .45, I would definately check out the Witness.

ckyllo

September 20, 2004, 08:57 AM

I have a P89 and P95 and both are rock solid shooters. they may not be the most pretty guns but IMO they are built like a brick somthing house. I have put alot of 9mm through them and can count the misfires on 1 hand (all mag related to a usa mag and a triple K mag)

444

September 20, 2004, 09:41 AM

Ruger autoloaders have excellent durability and reliability.
The average Ruger autoloader will do everything the HK, Glock, Sig etc. will do (function reliably and shoot with decent accuracy) and do it far cheaper. So, if you are thinking about buying one, the only things left to consider are whether or not you like the looks of it and whether or not you like the ergonomics of it. Calling them the AK47 of handguns is probably a good analogy.
I own several 9mm autoloaders made by various companies. For me, I think the Ruger would be the one I would pick if I could only own one.

drf

September 20, 2004, 04:16 PM

If its for home defense. Buy the Ruger P90 If its a carry gun, Look somewhere else....

It a great reliable gun that is what others have said, built like a tank...

Clunky when you shoot it, but shoots very accurate...

I've got many guns. but the Ruger is the first gun I would pick up for home defense.....drf

rde

September 20, 2004, 08:52 PM

I have never had a trouble with any Ruger P series I have ever had. Currently have a stainless P94 in 9mm and a stainless P97 in 45. The ergonomics for my specific hand are good for me. I am one of those very few that likes the way they look. I actually consistently shoot the P94 more accurately than I shoot my Beretta 92FS...that is just me though..others shooting these at the range for comparison get tighter groups with my Beretta. I keep the P94 on the nightstand.

tc300mag1

September 20, 2004, 09:30 PM

i have a p-90 its a good gun i prefer to carry my hk becuse its lighter but thats the only reason

MrMurphy

September 21, 2004, 10:56 AM

I've shot the P85, 89, 90, 93, 94, 95... and handled the 97.

They're very solidly built, decently accurate, and worth the money. But they're built like tanks. Not a bad thing for a range gun or a home gun or a duty pistol in a security holster, but not for CCW (even the P95/97 which are supposed to be for that).

I would trust my life to one, they're just heavy and not overly ergonomic. The P95/97 and P345 have been catching up on the ergonomics and weight score though.

Dak

September 25, 2004, 02:47 AM

I have a P94 and like it very well.I've also shot a P89 and it felt about the same though personally I don't like the looks of the P89.Never shot a P95 but I my Uncle has one that I have held and I like the way the metal frame of my P94 feels better than the plastic of his P95.This is all just personal opinion as I don't have much experiance with autoloaders.

Dave Markowitz

September 26, 2004, 02:10 PM

Ruger autoloaders are among the most reliable you will find. I've shot the P89 and P97 belonging to RON in PA (AKA "Dad") and they are quite accurate and reliable. If I had to trust my life to an autoloading pistol straight from the box, it would be a Ruger.

Now that the AWB has sunset, you can pick up formerly-LEO 15 round factory mags for the P89s pretty cheaply. CDNN has them.

FYI, the Ruger PC9 and PC4 carbines uses the same mags as their 9mm and .40 S&W pistols, respectively.

denfoote

September 26, 2004, 03:40 PM

Not tack drivers by any means, but they can certainly lay claim to be built like Mac trucks and go bang every time they are asked to!!!

I have two.
P95 (9mm) and P97 (.45acp) :D

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